The Politics of Presidential Pardons
Partisan Differences in Modern Clemency Decisions
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7168221 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Banks Miller (0000-0002-7948-8947, University of Texas at Dallas Richardson Texas USA), Brett Curry (0000-0002-6366-0714, Georgia Southern University Statesboro Georgia USA, corresponding author), Maureen Stobb (0000-0003-2865-3815, Georgia Southern University Statesboro Georgia USA) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 107 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Science Quarterly (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0038-4941 • E-ISSN: 1540-6237 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/ssqu.70133 |
| OpenAlex | W7125954867 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 17 |
Objective We investigate how partisanship, political context, and recipient characteristics relate to presidential pardon behavior. We ask whether Democratic and Republican administrations exhibit unique patterns in the likelihood and timing of pardons across different crime categories. Methods We analyze presidential pardons issued from 1989 to 2024. Leveraging data on the crimes for which pardons are granted, recipient characteristics, and additional factors, we estimate logit and count models controlling for demographic characteristics, crime type, and political dynamics. We also incorporate interaction terms to examine how partisan differences vary across such contexts. Results Our results suggest that presidents utilize pardons to advance criminal justice priorities while navigating political constraints. Democratic and Republican administrations behave differently in the likelihood and timing of pardons in particular crime categories. Democrats are more likely to pardon non‐Whites, women, and narcotics offenders than Republicans, but are less likely to grant pardons when facing potential electoral threat. As Democratic presidents increase their rhetorical attention to crime, they grow less likely to issue pardons. Conclusions Our findings speak to issues surrounding executive clemency, issue ownership, criminal justice policy, and partisan governance. These patterns demonstrate that pardons can operate as policy tools shaped by ideological preferences and political constraints
Democracy · Economic Justice · Ideology · Politics · Presidential system · Rhetorical question · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Judicial and Constitutional Studies · Legal and Constitutional Studies
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Comparing Three Methods of Measuring Race/Ethnicity
President Trump's Clemency Record
Executive Clemency or Bureaucratic Discretion? Two Models of the Pardons Process
Racial Disparity in Federal Criminal Sentences
Ethnicity and Judges' Sentencing Decisions
The “benign prerogative
Linking Genetics and Political Attitudes
Issue Ownership in Presidential Elections, with a 1980 Case Study
The Political Roots of Executive Clemency
The End of an Era? Understanding the Contradictions of Criminal Justice Reform
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |